


A Secondary Education

by scarletsometimes



Category: Sky High (2005)
Genre: College, Drug Use, F/M, Post-Graduation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-12
Updated: 2015-10-17
Packaged: 2018-04-26 00:59:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4983745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletsometimes/pseuds/scarletsometimes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Layla and the rest of the kids are now in College and they party, hard! Her relationship with Will is on the rocks. Will she and Warren finally get their chance? Here's to new experiences!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's College

It was the first week of her Sophomore year at Maxville University and Layla Williams was excited for the start of a new semester.

Freshman year of college had been an eye opening experience for her, being someone whose naivete only slightly diminished throughout

high school. It was her first time living away from home and she got a sense of what it would be like to be an adult- taking care of

herself and making her own decisions. She also had to get used to living in her dorm with two total strangers. Kylie and Jane were

decent roommates who eventually turned into friends, even if Kylie's almost constant cheerleading practices drove Layla nuts. Yes,

freshman year taught Layla lots of new things- like if Jane's red bandanna was tied around the doorknob of their dorm room, Layla

learned that was a symbol that meant: Do Not Enter or else you may see something you definitely do not want to see. So this year

Layla felt way more prepared, confident and excited, especially now that she got to room with Magenta.

" Maj, you're dropping your end! I can't lift this by myself you know." Layla said as seat beaded on her forehead.

"Uh, maybe somebody should call their super strong boyfriend to help them carry this desk then."

Layla narrowed her eyes at her friend just wanting to get this over with already.

"We're almost there, you can have a break when we get to the lobby." Layla panted.

Layla was super excited about the vintage desk she found at a yard sale not far from Harland Hall. She went on excitingly

about the workmanship and the history the desk had seen- she had found an old love letter in one of the drawers- until she convinced

Magenta how great it would look in their room. Of course she had to also convince her to carry it all the way home. Finally they got the

flaking turquoise painted wood piece into the elevator and into their room.

" No really, I mean what good is it to have your man be able to fly and be super strong if he can't move furniture for you?" Magenta

grumbled.

"Shhh! Maj, what if someone hears you?"

Magenta cocked an eyebrow ." Uh, the door's closed."

" Still..." Layla's lips curved slightly. " Okay I know, I'm a bit overprotective...it's just that since Will is now officially working as a

hero...well, protecting his identity is important."

"Believe me Lay, I know how important it is to keep our powers a secret. I don't want anyone to know that I can turn into a guinea pig,

I'd probably never get asked on a date again!" Magenta batted her eyelashes.

"Haha." Layla deadpanned then giggled outright.

"Layla, your phone is buzzing."

Layla rolled to the edge of her bed to grab her cell. She slid her finger against the screen to pick up the call.

"Will!"

"Hey Layla."

"Are you safe, are you okay? How are you?"

Will laughed " I'm safe, I'm fine. Actually I'm better than fine. We just stopped a big threat, I mean you know we're not allowed to get

into details, but Lay, it was intense! And after it was over I just got this rush and thought 'wow I really am saving the world'.

"That's amazing...you sound happy, Will."

"I am, but I also have got some maybe not so good news..."

"What is it?" Layla held her breath

"I'm not going to be home for another couple of weeks, I've got another assignment, babe."

Layla deflated "Oh."

"I'm sorry. There's just so much going on, and they really need me here, ya know?"

"Yeah, it's just.. No, I mean of course I get it, you're doing important stuff, I just... I guess I just miss you is all."

"I miss you too. You're the best, babe, but listen, I gotta go there's a briefing in five."

"Okay. Stay safe Will."

"You know it, Love you, babe"

" Me too."

Layla hit end and put her phone down on the bed and rolled onto her stomach.

Magenta's voice broke the silence. " Why didn't you tell him about your new desk?"

"He didn't ask."


	2. Party

Warren and Zach's two bedroom apartment was only a few block from campus. They shared the place that was on the third floor of a

four floor walk-up. Neither of them had to worry too much about rent because the building was owned by Zach's father who only

charged them for utilities. They'd furnished the place with used stuff they found on Craigslist and had ended up with some decent

pieces . Warren was sitting on their gray Ikea couch and trying to figure out why it cost $65 to just rent the textbook for his gender

studies class. Meanwhile, Zach was rambling on about all the back to school parties he just had to go to, and how he was a sophomore and

maybe now he'd be able to get a really hot freshman girl to hook up with him.

"...because dude, girls love Blonde guys, just look at Brad Pitt."

"Maybe I can just share Layla's book." Warren muttered.

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Here's the thing, Glowstick, getting a girl has got nothing to do with being a sophomore... or being..blonde" Warren rolled his

eyes "you just need to relax, you're way too hyped up for any chick to take you seriously. Chill out, take it down a notch. Got it?"

"Totally! Just play it smoooooooth." Zach popped the collar on his polo shirt.

Warren ran his hand through his hair. "I need my own place."

" Okay so which party should we go to tonight?" Zach thumbed through the fliers he had ripped off the bulletin boards in the quad. "

There's the one at Ki Epselon Omega-"

" I said I'd go to a party with you, but it won't be a fucking frat party."

" Well, Ted is having a party on his floor at Gilford Hall."

"Ted's your friend who always wears plaid?"

Zach nodded.

"Ted's alright."

Zach beamed. " Great! I'll call Magenta and let her know what time she and Layla should meet us."

"Jesus Zach, if you're going to meet girls, maybe it's not such a good idea to invite your ex-girlfriend?"

Zach gave Warren a blank look. Warren gave up.

"Just tell them to meet us there at 9."

 

The seventh floor of Gilford was littered with college students drinking beer from red plastic cups. Mostly everyone's doors were open

but the room that held the keg was where it was most crowded. Ted sat in a cruddy looking armchair alternating the music between

EDM and Nirvana.

"Nice Shirt" Warren offered

"Thanks, man. How are you guys doing on those?" Ted tilted his head towards the drinks in Zach and Warren's hands.

"I'm good."

"I'm just gonna go get another" said Zach

Warren looked around and wondered why he was here again. He wasn't technically against parties but these lame puke ridden college

things just weren't his scene. But he promised he'd hang around and help Zach meet girls. And Zach was his friend. Warren cared

about the kid, and the way the gerbil had broken Zach's heart really wrecked his confidence. So here he was hoping some cute young

thing would make his friend glow so Warren could get back home and finish reading Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling. From his

peripheral vision he saw a shock of purple and turned his head and spotted two more of his friends. How Warren ended up having so

many friends was beyond him, it's not like he was particularly nice to them, (well he was nice-ish to Layla) but here they were.

Magenta and Layla walked up to him.

" Hey." the shapeshifter said as she looked around the room. "Where's Zach"

"Went to get another beer."

Warren looked over to Layla. She was wearing a cream colored mini dress made out of some kind of crocheted fabric. When she had

walked over to him in her cowboy boots, he noticed the way the fringes at the hem of her dress barely caressed the tops of her

knees. Her auburn hair was down and the waves hid her bare shoulders. Gone were the days of Layla Williams wearing all green with

her hair in pigtails. His girl was looking more and more like a woman everyday. He mentally cursed himself. Not his girl... his friend. He

ignored the heat that shot up the back of his neck when she tilted her head and smiled at him.

" Hey Hippie."

Layla was excited for tonight's party. She wanted to experience everything college had to offer. She was tired of worrying about Will,

feeling guilty that she was upset with Will, and watching everyone else let loose. She wanted to have fun. She wondered if Warren

was as excited as her for the party, then smiled to herself knowing he was only going because his friends wanted him to.

She spotted Warren right away. He was the still figure amongst a moving sea of people. His thin black tee shirt and dark jeans

comforting her in their familiarity.

She smiled wider when he called her by his nickname.

" Hey Hippie"

" Hi Warren."

" Great Party."

She chuckled. " You look like you're totally into it."

" I to-tally am." Warren smirked sarcastically.

Magenta looked at both of them and said "I'm going to find Zach and bring him and some beer back."

" The kegs that way." Warren said.

"I can tell" and Magenta started pushing through the crowd.

Layla leaned back against the wall next to where Warren was standing. She let her shoulder touch his arm and pressed into him

slightly, letting him know she was happy he was here. He felt warm, like always and like always she felt drawn to that warmth. This

man next to her had been her best friend for years and she always wondered if his heat had something to do with it.

Suddenly thirsty she asked " Can I have some of your beer?"

"It tastes like piss."

Layla frowned and grabbed the cup from Warren's hand and took a huge gulp. The room temperature liquid tasted sour on her tongue

which made Layla's forehead wrinkle. She lifted the cup to her lips again and downed the rest of its contents. Warren lifted an

eyebrow and looked at her questioningly.

"What? It's a party."

"Yeah, you're a real party animal, Hippie."

"Well, I'm trying." Layla grinned. "C'mon dance with me."

Layla took Warren's hand to pull him away from the wall. His fingers immediately curled around hers. She started moving her body to

the music, lifting her arms in the air, looking up at Warren's face, silently asking him to move with her. The intense way he looked down

at her made her hyper aware of her body in space. She wondered at times like these what exactly Warren was thinking. Did she look

stupid? Was he upset about something? She felt a rush of fondness for the guy in front of her. He was sort of bopping his head to the

beat while she danced in front of him when Layla suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck.

He stopped moving as she pulled herself to him squeezing tightly and said into his ear "Warren, you're the best."

She wanted him to know how much she cared for him.

"Hippie, you're buzzed." Warren gently pulled back from her and looked down at her face while his hands still lingered around her arms.

"Hardly. I don't need alcohol to let you know that you're an awesome guy." All of the sudden Layla thought of Will and felt a twinge of

guilt. When was the last time she felt this rush of emotion for her own boyfriend?

"...But, if you stand here all night with me, you're never gonna meet any girls." she smiled up at him.

" Zach's here for the girls."

"What are you here for?"

"The beer."

Layla laughed.

Layla spent the rest of the evening dancing with either Magenta or Warren. They all watched Zach make his way down the hallways

trying to hook up with a girl. He ended up with his arm around Tara, an olive-skinned girl with short dark hair that kind of looked a bit

like Magenta. Magenta had her own harem of boys surrounding her until she effectively scared each one off with her sharp tongue.

Magenta was picky and had no problem waiting for the right one, someone who could take what she would dish out. When Magenta

and Layla got home, it was after two. Layla fell promptly asleep in her bed, never once wondering why not one guy came up to her and

asked her to dance.

Meanwhile Warren lay in bed unable to sleep thinking about the tantalizing glimpses of skin he could see through the holes in Layla's knit dress.

She looked so soft when she danced in front of him tonight and he felt fiercely protective of her. He spent most of the night staring down guys

who looked interested in Layla, warning them with his expression that she wasn't available. He thought of Stronghold and got pissed thinking

that her boyfriend should be the one keeping other guys away. Did Will not realize that Layla would have guys all over her if Warren wasn't

there to keep them away? 'Stronghold's an idiot.'

Warren spent another hour tossing and turning, ignoring any thoughts he had about Layla. She was a friend he would never want to lose, 'just a

friend ' he thought convincingly. He hated himself for any thoughts he had about her that blurred that boundary. She had changed his life in the

tenth grade by being patient with his angry kid attitude and holding out for his friendship. He remembered witnessing her first kiss , while she

spun in the air with Will, he had the first tingle of annoyance. He was glad Stronghold was still in the picture, 'yeah right' ,that the two were still

in love, because it was easier to push these thoughts away knowing they were like the furthest thing from reality.

Warren punched his pillow trying to get comfortable. The softness reminded him of the curve of Layla's breast. That did him in. He gave up the

fight tonight and reached his hand down into his boxer briefs. It took him only five minutes of imagining, Layla's hand on him, Layla's mouth, her eyes

looking up at him, to release the tension he'd been feeling. And then fall promptly asleep.


	3. The Second Sex

On Monday, Layla and Warren went to grab lunch after their gender studies class. They decided to head off campus to a small but popular diner a few

blocks away. The place was only semi filled with college students drinking coffee and doing homework. Sitting in a booth, Layla was intensely talking

about 'The Second Sex', the book they were reading for class.

"What de Beauvoir is trying to say is, that it's not enough to define a woman based on her biology or based on a concept of ideal femininity. So, she's

trying to find the definition of being a woman because that is a huge part of her identity..." Layla was breathless.

Warren enjoyed watching how excited she became when talking about feminism. Her face was flushed and she was leaning forward in her enthusiasm.

He smirked and thought that college really suited her.

" I get it, hippie, " he nodded " One is not born, but rather becomes a woman." he quoted the book's most famous line.

" Yes, exactly! A woman isn't born passive and secondary to men, but all the powerful forces in the external world have conspired to make that," she paused. "and then she believes it's her natural state! A woman learns her role from society..."

Warren could understand that. I mean, he spent almost his whole life feeling that his role had been determined by someone other than him. He was a

criminal's son.. a villain's son, and he was expected to be this thing... someone with a seed of evil inside him, ready to sprout at any moment. He spent

a long time believing that was true. He spent just as long battling against it, hoping he could fight being who everyone said he was. Without knowing

it, Layla eventually helped him believe that he was someone more good than bad.

" Do you feel that way? That external forces have molded you into your role as a woman?"

She looked down at her salad and moved the lettuce around with her fork, deep in thought.

" I'm not sure how I feel, I've never thought of it before.. I never even knew to think of it before, but sometimes I do feel..."

"Yeah?"

"...like I talk too much." Layla grinned widely, shaking herself out of the seriousness of the moment. She was always able to talk to Warren about

anything. She just didn't want to share with him the bouts of unease that had been plaguing her lately, and she wasn't exactly sure why. The only stuff

she didn't really talk to him about was her sex life. That is, except for when she lost her virginity to Will in her senior year of high school. And she only

told him that because she thought he would be able to tell just by looking at her! So it wasn't like she was embarrassed to talk about her feelings, she

just didn't know what those nagging feelings were really about.

Warren was confused by her abrupt change in tone but let her change the subject to more mundane things. She prattled on about how she thought

her chemistry professor might be a super like them and how she'd look him up to see if he was registered with the Super Association of America.

Just then Zach walked up to their booth with his arm around a dark-haired girl.

"Hey guys! This is Tara. I met her at Ted's party the other night." He was preening like a peacock.

" We were there, Glowstick." Warren reminded him.

" It's nice to see you again, Tara." Layla brightly chimed in "Do you guys want to sit?"

" Sure that'd be great." Tara smiled.

" Hey, there, uh, Warren, uh, would you mind switching to Layla's side so I can sit here with my girl?" Zach turned to wink at Tara.

Warren raised his eyebrow at Zach, about to comment on the fact that it had only been two days since they met and he was calling Tara his girl, when

Layla slid out of the booth and said " I'll move over, you guys take my side."

She slid in next to Warren and knocked her knee into his, a signal telling him to be nice.

They learned Tara was a junior majoring in art. She was taking Zach to see a performance art piece that her friends were starring in, later that night.

Zach seemed really besotted with the girl and Layla hoped in his eagerness, he didn't mess things up.

When they were about ready to leave, the waitress placed the check on the table. Layla went to grab her wallet from her bag, which then slid off the

seat and on to the floor. In her attempt to pick it up, Layla leaned sideways to reach her hand under the table. This effectively led her body to

practically be in Warren's lap and her head between his legs.

"Hippie!" she heard Warren bark.

She turned her head, hearing her name, and banged it under the table. "Ow!"

"Jesus Christ, Layla!" Warren pressed himself against the back of the booth to try and get more space between them.

Zach was laughing hysterically at this point and Warren reminded himself to make him pay for that later.

"Get up , and I'll get it for you."

"I've almost got it." she lifted her head slightly before reaching further under the table.

"Zach move your foot! Ok, got it! " Layla sang out when she rose from the table.

She looked at Zachs smile, Tara's downcast eyes and Warren's red face. Confused, she asked " What?"

Warren opened the door to his apartment and slammed it behind him. Sometimes she is so oblivious he thought angrily. Layla basically pantomimed

giving him a blow job in front of the whole damned diner without even realizing it. He used to get a thrill anytime she came close to him, but lately it

pissed him off that she treated him as if he was her gay best friend. Did she really think of him so platonically that having her head an inch from his dick

didn't cause her to bat an eye?

He walked over to the fridge and opened up a beer. He sat down on his couch and put his booted feet up on the wooden coffee table. He had no

problems getting girls when he wanted them. He didn't advertise it, but he didn't spend his life like a monk for fucksakes! He knew chicks thought he

was sexy, so why was it when Layla looked at him did she see some kind of.. of.. puppy?! Was she so in love with Stronghold that no other hot

blooded male could even register in her brain? In his anger, his hands burst into flames and he enjoyed the feeling of releasing his power. He only

stopped when the beer he was holding started to boil.

Warren sighed, and thought more and more that maybe it was time for him to get a girlfriend.

Layla went back to her dorm where she found Magenta painting her toe nails black. She dropped her bag on her desk.

"I just came back from lunch with Warren, Zach and Zach's new..well, this new girl he's seeing. The one from Ted's party the other night."

Magenta raised her eyebrows. "That girl, Tara? She's cute. She's kind of an uglier version of me, though." she said evilly.

Layla chuckled. " Well can you blame him? You were the love of his life, he's just trying to get that feeling back."

"Ugh, whatever." Magenta rolled her eyes. She cared about Zach, but couldn't force herself to be interested in him romantically. The kid was just going

to have to get over it. She twisted the cap back onto the bottle of nail polish and sat up. "Ted's kinda cute."

"Ted's always wasted." Layla retorted.

"Oooh, speaking of wasted, Jane told me there's going to be this bonfire in the clearing at McGovern's Woods on Saturday. We should definitely go."

"My old roommate Jane?" Red Bandanna Jane Layla thought and smiled.

"Yeah, she's in my chem class."

"Okay. I'll let Warren know."

Magenta looked sideways at Layla and smirked. Layla noticed. "What was that look?"

Magenta flat out said "You and Warren are attached at the hip."

Layla was taken aback. "We're friends." she said slightly offended.

"I know. It's just Lay, … " Magenta's tone turned serious. "..I think you use him as a substitute for Will, you know since Will's hasn't been around as

much for the past year and a half."

Magenta turned to her friend trying to be kind and not her usual snarky self.

" I get it. You miss your boyfriend. And you should. It sucks that you're in college and have to go to all these parties and stuff alone, and it's not like

you're even single. So I just don't think you see how much you rely on Warren to be some kind of .. I don't know, a replacement boyfriend or

something."

Layla's face felt hot. Where did Maj get off saying that to her!

" I don't use Warren because I need to have a guy with me everywhere I go! I like being around him. We have fun together. We've been close since

high school and- I don't know why you're even bringing this up!" Layla huffed.

" Listen, I'm sorry I said anything. Really. Maybe I'm just seeing things that aren't there. But I do know that it upsets you that Will is never around, and

I just wanted you to know that you can talk to me about it. I care about you Lay."

Layla gave her a small smile, her anger deflated. She opened her textbook to start her homework but couldn't get through the first page. For the first

time she began to wonder what her close relationship with Warren looked like to everyone else.


	4. A Call to Action

Layla woke up late, throwing her whole day off. Luckily, it was Friday and she could catch up on sleep tomorrow. Right now, she was sitting behind the counter of the pet grooming store she worked at, doodling pictures of flowers on the pad in front of her. It was a slow day which unfortunately gave her time to indulge in her crappy mood. What happened to the girl who was excited for this year, and was going to experience all sorts of new things? she wondered.

She had no answer, but knew that something had to give. If it didn't seem so unlike her, Layla would say that she was feeling depressed. Her phone rang, startling her. It was Will. She picked up the phone, relieved it was him, because maybe she just needed to talk to the guy who loved her, maybe he would say something that could make her feel better and this dark cloud hanging over her would disappear.

"Hey honey." she greeted him softly.

"Hi babe. How's it going?" Will sounded light and happy and Layla felt so far away from him at this moment.

"It's okay. I miss you, though." And even as she said this, she knew it wasn't exactly what she meant. What was it that she was really missing?

"I miss you too. You sound a little weird."

"I'm at work and I've just been feeling a bit sad." she paused. " Just with school and work, and all the other stuff going on and you not being here, I think I just feel, like, overwhelmed." That wasn't right either. That wasn't what she was feeling at all.

"Layla, you always put so much pressure on yourself. I just want you to know that you don't have to."

"What d'ya mean?" Layla knew he was trying to be compassionate and that helped a little, knowing that he cared.

"I mean babe, that I know you want to do great in school and that probably takes lots of effort, but it would be okay if you got B's or even C's. No one's gonna care how well you did in school after you graduate. You won't even have to work after we get married. I'm always going to be here to support you no matter what. I don't want you to worry about any of that. I love you Layla."

And it was those words, uttered by the man who loved her, that encompassed everything that was making her unhappy about her life, it was these mapped out roads that seemed set ahead of her that she had no choice but to travel, and all the things people expected her to become. Layla Williams could make trees shoot up from the ground a hundred feet into the air...when did she become so powerless?

She hardly knew what to say back to Will, he was just trying to help, but this is what he thought she wanted to hear? Had the distance between them altered his perception of her, or had she been the one to give him the impression that all she wanted to be was Mrs. Will Stronghold?

All of the sudden Layla felt panicked. She needed to fix this right away.

"Will, I need you to come home. Like now."

"Babe, I can't." Will sounded regretful. "You know I can't. I've got a couple more weeks. Two weeks Layla.. Okay? You're just stressed, but everything is going to be fine."

She wasn't sure it was.

Warren was getting ready to head out to McGovern woods when he saw the icon on his cell phone indicating he had a voicemail.

'Hey Warren, it's Will. Just calling because I spoke to Layla yesterday and she sounded kind of off or something. I just wanted to see if you could keep an eye on her for me. You know, make sure everything's okay. Appreciate it buddy, I'll see you in a couple of weeks.'

Warren snorted when he heard Stronghold call him 'buddy'. They weren't really friends, they just had friends in common. The September nights were getting chilly so he grabbed a dark green chunky sweater before heading out the door, and frowned wondering what was wrong with Layla.

After navigating through the wooded trails in the dark he made it to the clearing where the bonfire was going and a bunch of kids were hanging out. He spotted Layla, Magenta and Layla's old roommate Jane. Magenta spotted him first and alerted Layla, who gave him a quick wave as he was walking over. "Hey." he said to all three of them.

" Where's Zach?" Layla wondered thinking that they would come together.

"He's coming with Tara." Warren looked around and noticed there were only about twenty people there.

"Small turn-out."

"Well we tried to keep it small , so nobody would call the cops." Jane smiled and tilted her head flirtatiously.

Warren was hoping to maybe find someone to hook up with at this thing, but it definitely wasn't going to be Layla's old roommate. He didn't shit where he ate. He grunted a response and turned away from her. He looked over at Layla trying to find any visible signs that something was off about her, thinking about the voicemail he got earlier. He couldn't tell. She was smiling at something Magenta was saying. She flicked her eyes over to him and then quickly looked away. Maybe something was up. He couldn't stand there any longer listening to Magenta talk about Brazilian waxes, so he walked over to a picnic table and grabbed a bottle of Brooklyn Lager.

He spotted Ted in the crowd, wearing his signature plaid flannel shirt, walking over to the girls. Magenta nodded at something he said and he pulled something out of the pocket of his shirt. Magenta put it to her lips and after she lit it, Warren realized she was smoking a joint. He never knew that Maj even tried pot before, they never discussed it. He occasionally had gotten high with Jon, a busboy, when he used to work at the Paper Lantern. But it really came as a shock to him when Magenta passed the joint to Layla who didn't hesitate to take a puff. If she'd ever smoked before she never told him about it, and that was the strangest thing of all considering she told him pretty much everything. He walked back over as she was taking a second hit and looked at her.

"Hey Hippie, you okay?" he asked casually.

"Yeah, I'm good." she giggled and then looking like she just remembered something, she held out the joint to him. "Oh, you want some?"

"No, I'm good with this." and he raised the bottle of beer.

She looked at him with her glassy eyes and started laughing hysterically.

He shook his head and chuckled. Okay so maybe Layla just needed to chill out and she was taking her opportunity to do it tonight.

Ted shook his hand "What's up man? Sweet bonfire eh?"

And then they started talking about GTA 5 and Warren started to chill out himself.

A little while later, Jane was showing everyone how she could do a handstand while Magenta muttered under her breath about how she had a better talent. Ted said something about how flexible Jane was and Magenta rolled her eyes after Jane winked at him.

Warren was wondering what happened to Zach so he stepped away from the bonfire to give him a call.

He stood under a tree, the phone ringing, hearing Layla's voice in the background say "Oooh, I love this song!"

The phone went to voicemail and he put it in his back pocket. The song playing was a slow sultry tune by Portishead. He leaned against the tree while watching Layla slowly sway her hips to the music with her eyes closed.

Jane grabbed Magenta's waist and they started dancing with each other, as women often do , feeling safe to get a little sexy and not have to worry about being manhandled by a guy. Ted was watching too, and whistled at them.

Warren only had eyes for Layla as she ran her hands through her hair and sang the words "Give me a reason to love you. Give me a reason to be... a woman." The song itself was a seduction and Layla was playing along. She slowly opened her eyes and caught his gaze.

She got deeper into her dance, dipping her knees as she cocked her hips from one side to the other, never looking away from him. Fuck if she wasn't doing this on purpose!

Warren felt his heart speed up.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her one hand caressed her sides while the other was stretched out above her. Was she actually flirting with him? The fire burned high behind her and glinted off her silky hair. The way her body was snaking through the air, she looked as if she could be one of the flames. Watching her, practically enveloped in his element, looking like a woman here to tempt only him, he found himself moving slowly towards her. She kept her eyes locked on him the whole time and he felt the fire inside him rage. He caused the bonfire in front of him to burn even higher, shooting off sparks into the night sky.

Once he reached her, she smiled up at him and he put his arms on the sides of her hips. She immediately turned her back to him. Warren was so off balance, shocked at the seduction she was performing that he just stood there. And then Layla's back was up against his chest and she rolled her head back onto his shoulder, her hair caressing his cheek. Her eyes were closed again and she bent her knees sliding her body along the length of his.

He was so fucking hard in his jeans. He wanted her to just grab his zipper and free his cock and he didn't give a shit who was around. He placed one arm gently across her waist, his hand barely touching her belly, and closed his eyes reveling in the dance.

The song faded out and suddenly, she stopped moving. He opened his eyes and she stood in front of him looking dazed with her mouth slightly parted. Her eyes shifted to something behind him and when they widened he turned to see what she was looking at. There stood Jane and Magenta making out, with their arms around each other.

They must have sensed all eyes on them, because they broke apart and looked around, smiling shyly.

Zach and Tara chose this perfect moment to find their way into the clearing.

" Hey guys!" Zach called out, his was hand laced with Tara's.

Warren looked at Layla and she seemed frozen in place, not having really moved since the song ended.

He had a thought that this started as the most erotic dream ever, but was going to turn into the most fucked up nightmare. How stoned was she? Did she even know what she was doing when she silently beckoned him with her body? Was she standing there regretting every second of the last 5 minutes? He clenched his jaw. Was she thinking of Stronghold?

Tara came jogging over to Layla to say hello, which seemed to break her out of her daze. She gave a small smile and hug to Tara who waved her hand under her nose and said " Jeez, girl, what have you been smoking?"


	5. The Suggestion

*********Warren looked at Layla and she seemed frozen in place, not having really moved since the song ended.

He had a thought that this started as the most erotic dream ever, but was going to turn into the most fucked up nightmare. How stoned was she? Did she even know what she was doing when she silently beckoned him with her body? Was she standing there regretting every second of the last 5 minutes? He clenched his jaw. Was she thinking of Stronghold?

Tara came jogging over to Layla to say hello, which seemed to break her out of her daze. She gave a small smile and hug to Tara who waved her hand under her nose and said " Jeez, girl, what have you been smoking?" ***************************************************************************************************************

Zach came over after saying hello to Magenta and Jane, who announced that they were both tired and were going to head home. Tara hooked her arm through Layla's and led her over to some folding chairs that were strewn around.

"Let's go sit, dude." said Zach.

Warren didn't respond, but just stared in Layla's direction.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Warren stalked over to where the girls were sitting, grabbing another beer on the way.

Layla knew that Warren was pulling up a chair next to her but continued to look at Tara while she talked.

"Does Ted have anymore weed on him?"

" I think Maj and I finished it." Layla answered as she chewed on her bottom lip

"Do you smoke Warren?" Tara asked. Layla looked down at her hands instead of looking at Warren while he answered.

"Sometimes. Not tonight, though." Layla felt Warren's eyes on her but she just couldn't face him. She was still a bit high, but she was mortified over how she had behaved. She felt like a total idiot acting that way around Warren! She was just feeling so good and really getting into the music, and then she looked at Warren and felt... desire.

It was almost like she couldn't stop herself, she had let herself just feel, and it felt sooo good. But now, oh God, now she had humiliated herself in front of her friends. How could she act that way, she had a boyfriend!? What was she thinking? I wanted him. It felt good to want something like that again.

She shocked herself with that thought. She always understood that Warren was a good looking guy, it's not like she was blind or something! But Will had always been there for her to focus her romantic feelings on. And Warren was there for, well, for everything else.

Now she was so confused, and felt terribly guilty. She just needed to just act like it was no big deal, like it was just two friends dancing together with no sexual undertone to it. They were friends, and with everything that was going on with her lately, the last thing she wanted to do was lose Warren's friendship. But it seemed like he wanted to dance with me too. Maybe it was because he didn't notice her acting like a total tease.

"Have you guys ever tripped out on LSD?" Tara asked all of them.

Everyone shook their heads.

"Oh. My. God. You guys, it's amazing. It's like this spiritual experience. It can't compare to anything I've ever tried before." Her eyes were remembering. "It's something everyone should try at least once. You won't come out of it the same."

"We should do it!" Zach exclaimed.

Tara looked at him excitedly. "Really? You would do it with me? It's important to do it with people who you feel close to." Tara smiled shyly.

"Of course I would." Zach grabbed her hand. " We could all do it together. What do you think, guys?" He looked hopefully over at Warren and Layla.

"I don't know man. All that shit is made in a lab and who knows what it gets mixed with by the time we get it." Warren looked skeptical.

It was Layla who felt excited by the idea. Spiritual experience? Yes she wanted that. Tara made it sound amazingly fun, and wasn't that her whole plan for this year- new experiences and fun? Warren was right though, LSD could be dangerous. That was okay though, Layla had another idea.

" What about mushrooms?" Layla asked Tara "It's similar right?"

"Well , yeah, but I don't know anyone who deals them. I could ask Ted if he knows, that is if you guys really are interested."

Layla looked at Warren. She was interested, but she didn't want to do this without him, especially if it was only going to be just her, Zach and Tara. She tugged on the sleeve of Warren's sweater and he looked at her. She hoped he wasn't thinking about what happened earlier, but if she was ever going to get over it, she'd have to try to act normal around him.

" Warren?" The question lingered in her eyes. Will you do this with me?

A few moments passed and Layla was sure he was going to tell her it was a bad idea.

Instead he looked over at Tara and said "Okay. Ask Ted. We can do it at our apartment next weekend."

Layla let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

" Don't ask Ted. I know where to get them." Layla bit her lip and blushed. Zach's lips curved upwards when he realized just how Layla knew where to get psychedelic mushrooms.

When Layla got back to her dorm room Magenta was still awake.

"Okay, just spit it out." Magenta said while Layla was pulling off her boots. Layla froze. Was Maj going to make her talk about her stripperesqe dance tonight?

"Spit what out" Layla asked carefully.

"Me and Jane. Aren't you going to say anything about it?!" Magenta asked increduously.

"Oh. Yeah, that was intense. I didn't know you were into, um, girls."

"I'm not sure if I am. It's college and I'm experimenting." she said haughtily.

Layla thought about the experimenting that she was going to do next weekend but kept it to herself. She knew the plan was just for the four of them and she didn't think Tara would be comfortable with Zach's ex there. She'd explain it to Magenta later. Right now she went over to their bookshelf looking for her Botany book. She pulled it off the shelf and sat back against her pillows.

" Maj, you know I love you and I'd never judge you. Just be safe and have fun."

"Thanks chicka." Her tone was genuine. She felt lucky to have Layla as her friend. "Oh, what is college turning us into?" Magenta said dramatically, lightening the mood. She placed the back of her hand over her forehead and faux fainted backwards onto her bed.

I don't know, Layla thought as she slid her finger down the book index to find 'Mushroom' , but I'm looking forward to finding out.

Layla spent all week practicing generating 'magic mushrooms'. In her hand she would hold nutrient dense soil and imagine the brown-yellow color of the mushroom with their golden caps. She would smell the earthiness of the fungi and almost taste the rich starchiness of it. Eventually she would feel the psilocybe cubensis sprout in her palm.

She was satisfied with her results on Wednesday, but kept practicing until Friday. She could feel the potency of them as she created them with her powers, and though she was connected to them, as she was to all plant life, she still felt just a tad bit nervous about what would happen when she ingested them.

On Friday night she called Zach to tell him the mushrooms were ready. He seemed pretty excited. Layla never did end up telling Magenta about the whole thing. She was still feeling self-conscious about her behavior at the bonfire, and even though Maj never mentioned anything to her about it, Layla knew she had seen at least a bit of her "performance".

Of course Maj wouldn't judge her, but Layla was doing a good job of judging herself. She wouldn't even let herself explore any of the reasons that may have made her behave that way. Anytime she relived the moment, she felt her insides tighten when imagining Warren's hand glide over her belly button, then immediately she'd feel guilty for deriving any pleasure from it, chiding herself that she probably made Warren feel so uncomfortable. She wouldn't even consider what Will would think.

Zach was sitting on the couch with Tara curled up against him when he got Layla's call.

"It's a go for tomorrow." he told her.

"Cool. It's gonna be amazing." Tara smiled.

Zach looked into her eyes and smiled back thinking that he really could be finally getting over Magenta.

"Hey War!" He called out to the other room.

A minute later, Warren appeared in his underwear with his hair hanging all around his face. "What." he said, sounding groggy.

"Layla called. She said we're all set for our magical mystery tour."

Warren snorted. "Alert the fucking presses. I'm going back to bed."

Warren slammed the door shut to his bedroom. Normally, Layla would've called him and not Zach, but this week had been a bit.. abnormal. He thought that she would have brought it up what happened the night of the bonfire, because that was such a Layla thing to do. Her need to talk things out emerged whether he liked it or not, but not this time.

It seems they were pretending nothing had happened, which was fine - he could do that. He'd been pretending that he didn't have feelings for her for the last five years. But it was getting harder for him to continue lying to her and himself.

He was pissed that she came on to him – because that's what she was doing, right?- and that he let himself play into it , but now she wanted to ignore it, leaving him feeling like a complete idiot. Warren didn't like feeling like an idiot. So he was giving Layla a tiny bit of the cold shoulder all week, trying to make up for seeming a bit too into her last Saturday, but he wasn't sure what game she was playing.


	6. Seeing Things

Everyone was meeting at Warren's and Zach's at 7. Layla had butterflies fluttering around her stomach all day, excited to be doing something nobody would expect of her. For a reason that she didn't want to clearly identify, she spent an hour deciding on what to wear. In the end she decided on a pair of black leggings with a flowing tunic top in a deep wine color. It was comfortable but also pretty.

She stood in front of her full length mirror staring at her reflection for a moment before she began to braid a small section of her hair. It hung from the side of her head , the width of a pinky, and she secured it with a feathered clip. Once again she surveyed herself and a huge grin began to spread across her face. Layla knew what she looked like, and although it shouldn't, it made her cheeks pinken when she thought of the word...

...hippie.

"Tara will be here in a few." Zach was nervously looking out his living room window as if he expected someone to be looking back up at him.

Layla was sitting cross-legged on the floor, scrolling through Warren's iPod trying to find something to suit the mood. Instead all that was heard from the speakers was the sound of the scroll wheel clicking.

Warren seemed to be the only one who wasn't acting like the cops or their parents were going to bust in here at any second. He walked over to Layla and sat by her.

"You sure you wanna do this, Layla?"

She looked over at him, saw the concern in his face and wanted to yell that she wasn't a child , that she didn't need to be handled like she was some fragile girl that needed protection, and that she was an independent woman able to make her own decisions. But she knew that wouldn't be fair to him, because all those feelings weren't exploding inside her because of him. She knew there were parts of her life that needed to be changed and she wanted to be the kind of person that didn't need to be asked if she was sure if she wanted to do something. But she couldn't say all that to him now, so instead she said

"I'm not only sure, but I'm looking forward to it."

Warren snorted. " Well can you please press play already?

A loud buzzer sounded in the apartment. Zach ran to the door to let Tara in. After saying their hello's, the group gathered around the island in the kitchen. Layla took a plastic bag filled with semi crushed mushrooms out of her purse.

"Okay, so here they are. I weighed them and there's about eight grams to split between the four of us. That should be the perfect amount. So, what do we do now?"

Everyone looked to Tara who slid the bag over and opened it.

"Huh. They look so fresh." Tara noticed.

"Is that not a good thing?" Layla asked worriedly her forehead creasing slightly.

"No it's fine. Zach, can you boil us some water? And Warren, we're gonna need four mugs."

"What the hell for?" Warren glowered.

"We're having mushroom tea!" Tara winked and started separating the crushed mushrooms evenly into the cups that Warren placed on the countertop.

It took six minutes for the water to boil. Warren knew this because he was watching the clock on the microwave. In the meantime Zach and Tara were hugging, their arms around each other's waists, looking nauseatingly into each other's eyes. Layla gave up on picking a song from the iPod and just let Pandora choose for her. She walked over to Warren and smiled at him.

He knew she was feeling the effects of his aloofness during the week, but he didn't want either of them to do this with any negative feelings, so he casually slung his arm around her shoulders. He could feel her relax and she leaned her head against his chest. The kettle began to whistle and Warren ruffled Layla's hair. They were doing this together. As best friends.

After the water was cooled and the cups were filled. Tara said "Okay guys, drink up!"

Warren brought the cup to his mouth and immediately jerked his head away.

"No offense, Hippie, but your mushrooms smell like horse shit."

"Ha, freakin, ha." Layla squinted her eyes and smirked at Warren."My mushrooms are beautiful." She then brought her own cup to her mouth, ready to down the liquid in one shot, when her gag reflex kicked in.

"Okay, you're right, they do stink."

Warren gave her a smirk that meant I told you so.

"I guess I should've warned everyone to hold their noses. They always smell bad." And then Tara did just that and drank the whole cup.

After that everyone followed suit.

"Okay so how long until we start to feel it?" Zach asked

"About a half hour. Let's chill on the couch. I brought cards!" Tara went to her bag to grab the pack of playing cards.

Warren groaned.

"Oooh. Lets play gin!" Layla claimed her spot on the floor again.

It was the fifth round of Gin and Layla had won every time.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd think you were cheating, Hippie."

"I'm just extraordinarily good at this game. That's why I love it so much." and Warren thought her grin could light up the world.

"Hey War?"

"Yes, Lay?" he mimicked.

"The wall behind you is like.. it's .. breathing." Layla was frozen with awe. " Woah."

Warren looked at the wall. Layla was right, it did seem to be breathing. The once straight flat surface was gently and slowly moving in and out as if it were somebody's chest inhaling and exhaling. He turned back to Layla to tell her he saw it too, when he noticed that when he moved his eyes, a streak of blue followed. He looked up towards the light fixture and trails of colors emanated from it looking like neon icicles.

Pandora stated to play 'Yellow Submarine' and he heard Zach dramatically singing along, and even though he kind of hated this song, Warren started to laugh.

He saw Tara hold up her palms to Zach, asking him to do the same. Zach lifted his own arms and pressed his hands against hers.

"Look, our hands are melting into each other. We're becoming one." Tara's eyes were shining with happiness, and Zach leaned over to kiss her, palms still touching.

Warren wasn't sure how much time was passing, he was just enjoying the ride. No wonder they call this a trip. He saw that Layla was now lying on her back on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. Her hair was fanned out around her and the tips of her strands were dancing flames. It reminded Warren of the night of the bonfire, and even though he knew he should be feeling embarrassed about that night, he couldn't summon up that feeling.

"Hippie, your hair looks like fire." he reached out his hand to touch it, though she wasn't nearly close enough for him to reach.

"Fire, Water, Earth..." Layla sing-songed, running her hands over the carpet, not paying him much attention. "Oh, Water!" and then she was sitting up , looking as if she had just realized something. Layla walked over to Warren and grabbed his hand.

"We have to see something." Layla said sounding serious.

"Okay, what is it?" Warren was equally serious.

"The bathroom." And Layla led the way to the bathroom that was across from his bedroom. Once inside, they both stood in front of the mirror over the sink.

"Here. But don't look in the mirror. That's not really us." and then she turned on the faucet. Warren knew that Layla wasn't totally making sense, but he understood every word she said and every meaning she intended.

"The water is color. It's a rainbow. Layla, you're a witch." and now Warren was smiling and putting his hand under the water which instead of being clear was all the colors of the rainbow pouring out of the chrome faucet. He watched the colors sluice off his skin.

Layla joined him, placing her hand on his, turning it slowly round and around. He watched as the water defied gravity, no longer sliding down the drain, but instead wrapping around their hands, linking them together.

With his eyes locked on their hands, Warren said quietly" You're fucking magic, Layla."

Layla threw back her head and laughed. "I ammmmm! I made magic mushrooms, and now I've put a spell on all of us." She looked up at him then. " Let's see what else we can make happen."

Warren followed Layla as she wandered into his bedroom. He stumbled a bit when he looked at the floor, which seemed to be morphing around his feet. Layla ran her hands over his dresser, and then his walls, and then the blanket on his bed. He heard her humming the song that was playing from the living room as she gingerly crawled into his bed. She stopped and asked "Will it swallow me whole?"

He knew she meant the bed, and he said " No, you're safe. It's safe." To prove it, he climbed in with her.

His black comforter was underneath them creating a dark cloud for them to lay upon. Layla turned on her side and faced him.

"I feel like I know everything. Like really know everything. Do you know what I mean?" she asked earnestly

Warren knew what she meant. It was like all the things they ever worried about- that the whole world worried about- were silly and useless. There was no meaning in it because really, the only thing that meant anything was ..love. Warren knew he would normally cringe at thinking these thoughts, but now he realized that his whole tough guy act, didn't mean anything either. This is who he really was, at this moment he was his true self, and he could admit he was in love with the girl whose face was a foot away from his.

"I know what you mean. ... I think I can hear what you're thinking." Warren whispered. They were both whispering now.

"Warren, Your face is rippling. Like when you look down the road on a hot summer day...I think I can hear what you're thinking too." and Layla reached out to lightly touch his face with her fingertips.

Warren only thought that he imagined moving closer to her, but he noticed that now, they were only a few inches apart.

"What am I thinking, Hippie?" he whispered so lightly that he could barely hear it himself.

And then they were kissing. Her soft lips pressing against his, pulling back only enough to feel their lips stick together a bit, before that sweet pressure of her mouth returned. The tip of his tongue caressed hers and his mind and body were swirling with sensation.

She opened her mouth wider to accept him more deeply and Warren felt the fire in is body burn, making every nerve ending come alive with pleasure. His Layla felt like silk. He was kissing her and he couldn't form any more thoughts than those. He was kissing, kissing, kissing her. He was inside her and she was inside him and though it was only their mouths moving, he felt as if her cells were permeating into his and taking up residence there.

She was invading his body through every pore and he was fucking absorbing it like a sponge. He drank more and more of her in as he opened and closed his mouth around hers. At this moment there was nothing else more important in the world than the two of them, together like this. They both felt it and felt more at peace than either had ever been.

Layla thought that this was like no other kiss he had ever experienced. She saw yellow explosions behind her eyelids that seemed like the most luminescent fireworks she had ever seen. The warmth of Warren's breath mingled with hers as their tongues caressed each other and she felt as if their life forces were combining into one. She could feel his feelings and she knew he wanted more. She wanted more too, but Warren's hand never strayed from her shoulder. Still, he kneaded the flesh beneath his fingers intensely and she reveled in having him, touch her like this - like more than just a friend.

Overwhelmed with sensation, they paused for a moment and opened their eyes, only inches apart. It was then that Layla saw something more unbelievable than anything she'd seen thus far. Big fluffy Hydrangeas in all colors were swirling in the air and falling all around them.

The once normal bedroom had been turned into a fantasyland of color. Pinks, purples, blues, greens and yellows danced with abandon. The air seemed to sparkle with silver glitter which contrasted the softness of the flowers. It was almost as if they were in some sort of a hallucinogenic snow globe and they two were the only ones not spinning.

Her eyes widened with wonder and she looked back to Warren and whispered" Are you seeing this?"

Warren looked awestruck and lifted his arm up to see his hand shimmer in the glitter. Looking back at Layla, he grasped a flower and ran the softness of it's petals along her cheek until it disappeared. He slowly smiled at her and whispered back "Yeah."

He then leaned back in to kiss Layla again because that was the only thing to do. The wetness of her mouth made him think of how wet she would be between her legs, and how beautiful she would look when he made love to her in this glittering world of theirs. His cock ached to make her his and just as he was about to bring her body closer to his, the door to his room opened.

"Hey lovebirds, you've gotta come check this out." It was Tara who had interrupted them. Her voiced sounded amazed. Layla and Warren lazily broke apart and turned their heads towards her. Tara came forward and grabbed Layla's arm to help her up.

"C'mon! It's so beauuuutiful."

Warren didn't feel angered by the interruption because he couldn't fathom the passing of time right now, and he assumed that he and Layla would be wrapped around each other any minute.

He followed the two girls out of his room and into the living room.

"See, I think he's like , channeling God... or something." Tara looked puzzled.

It was Zach, standing on the coffee table, glowing the brightest that Warren had ever seen him glow.

Layla shielded her eyes. "He's being the purest form of himself." Layla said confidently.

"I can feel myself glowing from the inside!" Zach exclaimed and spun around until Tara yelled at him to stop and come down from the table.

Zach powered down, and dropped into an armchair, pulling Tara onto his lap.

Warren sat on the couch with his eyes closed, still seeing remnants of Zach's "glow". He felt pressure on his lap and opened his eyes to see Layla resting her head on his legs. He accepted her actions completely, knowing that she wanted to be close to him as much as he wanted to be close to her. He absent mindedly ran his fingers through her hair, watching flames once again, shoot out from her strands and tickle his fingers.

He thought that this moment was the epitome of perfection.


End file.
